ANC heavyweight cracks under pressure and turns back on Zuma: DA

11 February 2016 - 10:53 By TMG Digital

The Democratic Alliance (DA) said the comments of a “heavyweight” from the ruling party in a televised debate was evidence of a party in disarray. The DA’s mayoral candidate for Nelson Mandela Bay‚ Athol Trollip‚ said that the African National Congress’ (ANC) Thobile Mhlahlo was seen to be “admitting that the ANC national leadership continues to make poor decisions”.This‚ Trollip said‚ “confirmed that (President Jacob) Zuma’s actions are effectively destroying the party‚ and the country”.He added that Mhlahlo had also admitted‚ in a debate on Bay TV in Port Elizabeth on Wednesday night‚ “that the firing of former finance minister Nhlanhla Nene was done incorrectly and without due process”.“The far-reaching impact of this catastrophic decision has shredded the economy‚ crippled our currency and destroyed jobs‚” said Trollip.“Mhlahlo cracked under pressure and turned his back on Zuma.“This comes in the wake of the major ANC concession which saw President Zuma embarrassingly buckle in front of the Constitutional Court on the powers of the public protector‚ relating to the scandalous construction of his Nkandla estate.“As a senior member of the ANC’s Nelson Mandela Bay Regional Task Team‚ Mhlahlo’s admissions paint a picture of factionalism‚ infighting and a rapidly deteriorating organisation.“More and more divisions are arising due to Zuma’s compromised and incoherent leadership‚ characterised by various senior ANC leaders and influencers contradicting and denouncing the actions of the President and multiple cabinet ministers.”It wasn’t the first time Mhlahlo has been critical of his own party.In 2014‚ the Herald reported that Mhlahlo had condemned the leadership chaos in the party in Nelson Mandela Bay‚ and put his full support behind a call by branches for the regional executive to step down.Mhlahlo said at the time that a delegation drawn from the ANC branches had been to see him recently‚ and said to him: “We want you to assist in rescuing the ANC.”..

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